The present invention relates to a pager, and more particularly, to a pager designed so as to be able to respond selectively according to a message to be transmitted.
In the field of pagers there have been known two types of service: i.e., selective paging service and group paging service. Generally, selective paging is carried out while a unique ID of a pager is used as a paging ID. If there is a match between the paging ID stored in ID-ROM of the pager and paging ID information obtained through demodulation of a radio wave, paging is indicated to the user by means of beeping sound or vibration, and an incoming message is indicated on a liquid crystal display or the like.
In the case of group paging, an ID common among pagers of a certain group is used as a paging ID. When paging is carried out through use of the paging ID, all the radio paging receivers of the group concerned are paged. To receive this service, the pagers of the same group must collectively be contracted with a service provider.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-4578 is described a method of paging a plurality of specific pagers among the pagers constituting the group. Under this method, a message is used as a key to a paging operation.
As shown in FIG. 8, the pager comprises a radio section 101 for demodulating a radio signal; a CPU 102 for verifying operations; ID-ROM 103 in which paging IDs are stored; a display section 105 for indicating a received message; and a beeping section 104 for informing a user of an incoming message through use of beeping sound. The CPU 102 comprises an ID number storage section 107 for storing pager ID numbers and a message verification section 106 for verifying numerals included in the message against the receiver ID number.
In the foregoing pager, the radio section 101 receives a radio signal transmitted from a radio paging system base station and demodulates the thus-received radio signal. The CPU 102 verifies the paging IDs stored in the ID-ROM 103 against the received paging address. If there is a match between them, the numerals included in the message are compared with the receiver ID number stored in the ID number storage section 107. If there is a match between the numerals, the beeping section 104 and the display section 105 are controlled and activated so as to perform a paging operation.
Although the data stored in the ID-ROM 103 are common to the individual pagers in a certain group, each receiver ID number stored in the CPU 102 is different from the others. By use of such a configuration, the pager that is paged can be selected according to details of a message to be transmitted.
A conceivable way to use the pager is to utilize pagers by providing the pagers to, e.g., airline passengers at the air port, and by offering boarding information, such as boarding time or the location where the passengers are to congregate, to the passengers by means of the pagers.
In a case where the foregoing pagers are used in offering such boarding information, a flight number, for example, is stored in the CPU of each pager beforehand, and the pagers are provided to the passengers. As a result, the passengers are distinguished according to flight number, and boarding information can be offered to the individual passengers.
In this case, however, there must be prepared the pagers which have a flight number stored therein and are equal in number to the passengers. If there is a change in flight number or the number of passengers, the pagers may become insufficient or excessive in number, thus rendering use of the pagers inefficient.
Further, in a case where boarding information is sent to the passenger through distinctive paging, the passengers must be paged one by one, thus creating a great deal of inconvenience to the operator. In a case where boarding information is provided to the passengers through group paging, there can be avoided efforts to manage distribution of different kinds of pagers among passengers. However, since all the passengers are paged, each of the passengers must decide from a message whether or not boarding information is relevant to him. Further, since irrelevant paging is performed many times, the passengers feels inconvenienced.
In a case where passengers are classified into several groups and where paging is carried out on a per-group basis, there must be used pagers which are adjusted to each group and are equal in number to the passengers of the respective group. Thus, management of the number of pagers is troublesome. Further, in this case, pagers adjusted to a certain group cannot be used for another group, thus deteriorating the utilization efficiency of the pager.
The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the conventional pager, and the object of the present invention is to provide a pager which enables efficient paging of only a plurality of pagers concerned and which allows easy management of the number of the pagers.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a pager for use with a radio paging system which can page a plurality of pagers through use of one paging signal, the pager comprising: storage means for storing data; data comparing means for comparing message data included in the paging signal with the data stored in the storage means; and operation execution means for commencing a paging operation when, as a result of the comparing operation performed by the data comparing means, it turns out that there is a match between the data. The storage means is interchangeable among pagers, or the data stored in the storage means can be rewritten.
As mentioned above, since the message data received by the pager are used as a key to determining whether or not to commence a paging operation, persons who fall into a specific category within the same group can be paged. Categories may be established or changed by interchanging of the storage means or through rewriting of the data stored in the storage means.
Further, according to the present invention, the storage means is formed from a memory card. The category into which the pager falls can be established or changed by interchanging the memory card to be fitted to the pager or by rewriting the data stored in the memory card.
Still further, according to the present invention, the operation execution means commences a paging operation on the basis of the comparing result. Only the pagers which fall into a specific category within the same group are paged.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the storage means is designed to store data including at least flight numbers of airplanes. Within the same group, pagers to be paged can be selected according to the flight number.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the storage means is designed to store data regarding one controlled device which is an object of control and data representing control information. A control signal regarding one controlled device can be distinguished from the received information by comparing of these data sets with the character string of the received message.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the operation execution means outputs a control signal related to the controlled devices stored in the storage means, on the basis of the comparing result. Individual pagers which fall into the same group are arranged so as to correspond to respective controlled devices, such as an air conditioner, a VCR, and lighting fixtures. As a result, these devices can be remotely controlled by means of the pagers.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the pager is provided with external interface (I/F) means for outputting a control signal to the controlled devices, and the control signal generated by the pager is output to the controlled device by way of the external I/F (interface) means.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the external I/F means outputs a connection standard signal for home automation equipment. A device having an external I/F compliant with home automation standards can be remotely controlled.